High court stays DGCA order on chopper firm

The Delhi High Court Tuesday stayed the order of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) withdrawing the Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO) approval granted to Indocopters Pvt. Ltd., which had stalled its operations.

Issuing an interim order, Justice Rajiv Shakdher stayed the DGCA’s Sep 18 order that was issued after the security clearance of Global Vectra Helicorp, the aviation arm of the Ravi Rishi-led Vectra Group, was withdrawn by the home ministry.

The court observed that the DGCA did not serve any show cause notice on Indocopters before withdrawing the AMO approval. “The only reason for passing the order is withdrawal of security clearance,” the court said, staying the order till Oct 18, the next date of hearing.

In its plea, Indocopter had contended that the mandatory 28-day prior notice was never given to it by the DGCA before passing the order.

“The impugned action is in blatant violation of Rule 133B(10) of The Aircraft Rules, 1937, and Clause 145.100 which when co-jointly read provide that to revoke/cancel an AMO, a 28-day prior notice, due inquiry, with a right of representation and hearing has to be given which is clearly absent in this case,” the plea said.

The company also said that “the grant of security clearance is not a condition for grant of a AMO approval… and hence it must logically follow that absence of such security clearance cannot be a ground to withdraw such AMO approval.”

Earlier, Global Vectra had moved high court against the suspension order of the aviation regulator that suspended its permit to fly choppers.

However, the high court later stayed the DGCA order suspending the permit to fly choppers given to Global Vectra Helicorp.

The DGCA May 7 suspended Global Vectra’s operating permit after the MHA raised security concerns. The government had also withdrawn the security clearance of Ravi Rishi.

The Central Bureau of Investigation is currently probing the alleged role of Rishi, London-based Vectra Group’s chairperson, in connection with the multi-crore rupee deal for the heavy-duty all-terrain Tatra trucks for the army and the bribery allegations made by former army chief General V.K. Singh.